At its June 21, 2011 meeting, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a request by Supervisor Dave Cortese to adopt the policy of using child impact statements in the Board's decision-making process. The inclusion of these statements in all memos to the Board will help its members understand the direct impacts of policy decisions on the children in the county.

"Stable families build stable communities. It's that simple. Therefore, every decision we make at the county should be in the context of its effect on children and families," said Supervisor Dave Cortese, President of the Board of Supervisors and Chair of the Children, Seniors and Families Committee. "These statements will force the county and the Board to better understand unintended consequences of our decisions."

Child impact statements are used widely in Europe and are beginning to garner attention in the United States. Shelby County (Tennessee) is one of the first jurisdictions in the country to use these statements, in the context of safety, health, education and land use decision-making.